denio] THE ASSINIBOIN 605 



Another form, and the one in which this manner of writing appears 

 to be of more importance among them, is the devices drawn on the 

 robes, exhibiting their standing as warriors whenever they appear. 

 The height of distinction in an Indian, and his greatest ambition, is 

 to impress upon his own people or strangers the idea of his being 

 brave, of his having done acts that entitle him to appear among 

 men, of his superiority in this respect over others in the crowd; 

 therefore the actions which lead to these impressions are pictured 

 on his robe; his biography is carried on his back so that " he who runs 

 may read." It insures him respect through life, an honorable shroud 

 at his death, and is believed to merit reward in futurity. A further 

 use these devices are made to serve is the representation of monsters 

 said to be seen by them in dreams, and supposed to have the effect 

 when painted on their lodges of averting strokes of lightning, disease, 

 etc. 



In like manner buffalo heads are pictured to bring those animals 

 in the direction of the camp, besides a great variety of smaller 

 devices are seen on their shields, drums, medicine sacks, and enve- 

 lopes of their amulets, to all of which appropriate and general mean- 

 ings are attached corresponding with their superstitious belief or 

 to insure success in domestic affairs. In conversation with most 

 elderly Indians regarding locations, travels, or to explain battles 

 and other events, resort is had by them to drawing maps on the 

 ground, on bark with charcoal, or on paper if they can get it, to 

 illustrate more clearly the affair in question. In this way the chief 

 of the Crow Nation three years since made and left with us a map 

 (pi. 77) of his intended travels during the entire fall and winter suc- 

 ceeding, embracing a circumference of 1,500 miles, with the different 

 encampments to be made by that nation in that time, and so correct 

 was the drawing that we had no difficulty in finding their camp the 

 following winter in deep snow, one month's travel from this place. It 

 is regretted that those Indians are not now in this neighborhood, as in 

 that case some specimens of their charts and devices could be in- 

 serted, but in default of better we present in this place some Assini- 

 boin drawings, with their explanations, which will serve to give a 

 general idea how they are managed, and other pictorial devices are 

 attached in several parts of this work. 



These are the only forms the pictorial art of the Indians takes. It 

 is more largely applied to the designs represented on their robes 

 and mythological subjects when appearing on their lodges, fetish 

 envelopes, etc., as has been stated. Songs can not be recorded in this 

 or any other form. The value it may be to a people who are without 

 letters is mostly apparent in the instances where it denotes the rank 

 and standing of individuals when painted on their robes. The in- 



